Daniel

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 764 sections

100
þæt þa frumgaras be feore dæde,
101
þæt þam gengum þrym gad ne wære
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wiste ne wæde in woruldlife.
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þa wæs breme Babilone weard,
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mære and modig ofer middangeard,
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egesful ylda bearnum. No he æ fremede,
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ac in oferhygde æghwæs lifde.
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þa þam folctogan on frumslæpe,
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siððan to reste gehwearf rice þeoden,
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com on sefan hwurfan swefnes woma,
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hu woruld wære wundrum geteod,
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ungelic yldum oð edsceafte.
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Wearð him on slæpe soð gecyðed,
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þætte rices gehwæs reðe sceolde gelimpan,
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eorðan dreamas, ende wurðan.
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þa onwoc wulfheort, se ær wingal swæf,
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Babilone weard. Næs him bliðe hige,
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ac him sorh astah, swefnes woma.
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No he gemunde þæt him meted wæs.
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Het þa tosomne sinra leoda
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þa wiccungdom widost bæron,
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frægn þa ða mænigeo hwæt hine gemætte,
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þenden reordberend reste wunode.
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Wearð he on þam egesan acol worden,
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þa he ne wisse word ne angin
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swefnes sines; het him secgan þeah.
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þa him unbliðe andswaredon
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deofolwitgan (næs him dom gearu
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to asecganne swefen cyninge):
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"Hu magon we swa dygle, drihten, ahicgan
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on sefan þinne, hu ðe swefnede,
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oððe wyrda gesceaft wisdom bude,
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gif þu his ærest ne meaht or areccan?"
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þa him unbliðe andswarode
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wulfheort cyning, witgum sinum:
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"Næron ge swa eacne ofer ealle men
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modgeþances swa ge me sægdon,
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and þæt gecwædon, þæt ge cuðon
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mine aldorlege, swa me æfter wearð,
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oððe ic furðor findan sceolde.
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Nu ge mætinge mine ne cunnon,
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þa þe me for werode wisdom berað.
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Ge sweltað deaðe, nymþe ic dom wite
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soðan swefnes, þæs min sefa myndgað."
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Ne meahte þa seo mænigeo on þam meðelstede
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þurh witigdom wihte aþencean
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ne ahicgan, þa hit forhæfed gewearð
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þætte hie sædon swefn cyninge,
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wyrda gerynu, oðþæt witga cwom,
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Daniel to dome, se wæs drihtne gecoren,
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snotor and soðfæst, in þæt seld gangan.
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Se wæs ordfruma earmre lafe
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þære þe þam hæðenan hyran sceolde.
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Him god sealde gife of heofnum
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þurh hleoðorcwyde haliges gastes,
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þæt him engel godes eall asægde
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swa his mandrihten gemæted wearð.
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ða eode Daniel, þa dæg lyhte,
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swefen reccan sinum frean,
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sægde him wislice wereda gesceafte,
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þætte sona ongeat swiðmod cyning
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ord and ende þæs þe him ywed wæs.
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ða hæfde Daniel dom micelne,
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blæd in Babilonia mid bocerum,
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siððan he gesæde swefen cyninge,
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þæt he ær for fyrenum onfon ne meahte,
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Babilonie weard, in his breostlocan.
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No hwæðere þæt Daniel gedon mihte
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þæt he wolde metodes mihte gelyfan,
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ac he wyrcan ongan weoh on felda
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þam þe deormode Diran heton,
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se wæs on ðære ðeode ðe swa hatte,
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bresne Babilonige. þære burge weard
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anne manlican ofer metodes est,
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gyld of golde, gumum arærde,
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for þam þe gleaw ne wæs, gumrices weard,
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reðe and rædleas, riht ......
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þa wearð hæleða hlyst þa hleoðor cwom
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byman stefne ofer burhware.
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þa hie for þam cumble on cneowum sæton,
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onhnigon to þam herige hæðne þeode,
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wurðedon wihgyld, ne wiston wræstran ræd,
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efndon unrihtdom, swa hyra aldor dyde,
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mane gemenged, mode gefrecnod.
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Fremde folcmægen, swa hyra frea ærest,
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unræd efnde, (him þæs æfter becwom
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yfel endelean), unriht dyde.
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þær þry wæron on þæs þeodnes byrig,
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eorlas Israela, þæt hie a noldon
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hyra þeodnes dom þafigan onginnan,
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þæt hie to þam beacne gebedu rærde,
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ðeah ðe ðær on herige byman sungon.
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ða wæron æðelum god Abrahames bearn,
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wæron wærfæste, wiston drihten
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ecne uppe, ælmihtigne.
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Cnihtas cynegode cuð gedydon,
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þæt hie him þæt gold to gode noldon
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habban ne healdan, ac þone hean cyning,
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gasta hyrde, ðe him gife sealde.
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Oft hie to bote balde gecwædon

The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, transcribed by sacred-texts.com (sacred-texts.com/neu/ascp/), via CLTK's old_english_text_sacred_texts mirror; released into the public domain. Licence: Public domain (Unlicense). Source.